Japan to expand investment in Thailand

BANGKOK, February 23 (TNA) - Japanese investors have confirmed to continue expanding their businesses or investment projects in Thailand, including those specially promoted by the Thai government. Hiranya Sujinai, Acting Secretary-General of the Board of Investment of Thailand (BOI), under the Ministry of Industry, told journalists on Monday that the positive response was aired during a BOI delegation's visit to Japan last week, led by Thai Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula and Industry Minister Chakramon Phasukvanich. During the trip, Hiranya noted, BOI presented its new policies and, in response, Japanese investors confirmed they will continue expanding their businesses and investment projects in Thailand. Hiranya said Japanese investors apparently understood that the new policies are necessary and they expressed interest in new investment areas the Thai government is promoting, including investment in international headquarters (IHQ), international trading centers, research and development (R&D), personnel training, waste-to-energy projects and businesses relating to digital economy, namely software business. Hiranya revealed that the BOI delegation also met representatives of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren), the Kansai Economic Federation (Kankeiren) and the Nagoya Chamber of Commerce & Industry who paid attention to Thailand's ambition to be a trade hub of the region and inquired about BOI's investment promotions in this area. Besides, the BOI delegation met the governor of Japan's Aichi Prefecture, where automobile firms are housed and the governor assured that Thailand remains a major investment destination of companies from Aichi. According to the BOI's acting chief, BOI and the Industry Ministry plan business matching between Thai and Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as Japanese SMEs are good at production, while their Thai counterparts can assist in management. (TNA)